Bike to Work Wednesdays Keep the Bike Commute Mojo Going

Last week, BikeDenver set up a breakfast stand at 16th and Marion on a cold and wet Wednesday morning. The bicycle advocacy group hopes to make bike commuting an every day habit for more people.

For many, Bike to Work Day is a yearly tradition — something to do when the calendar rolls around to a very specific date. But bike commuting once a year isn’t a real habit. BikeDenver is trying to change that with Bike to Work Wednesdays every hump day through June 24.

To entice more people to ride more regularly, BikeDenver staff and volunteers set up shop at a different pit stop each week from 7 to 9 a.m. with coffee and breakfast burritos or oatmeal. Definitely beats the drive-thru.

This is the initiative’s third week. Here are the remaining dates and locations:

May 27: Fishback Park, South Platte Path (south of Confluence)

June 3: Behind Cherry Creek Mall on Cherry Creek Path

June 10: 12th Avenue on the West Side of Cheeseman Park

June 17: Highlands Bridge

The Denver Regional Council of Governments, which hosts one of the largest annual Bike to Work Days in the country, partnered with BikeDenver on the effort. Commuters can log their rides on this DRCOG website to compete with other riders and win prizes. Even AAA Colorado is offering free bike maintenance for anyone in need.

It’s all to incentivize bike commuting as a habit, not just a one-off holiday, said BikeDenver Executive Director Molly North, who started the program last year. The traditional Bike to Work Day attracts people, she said, but it needs to have legs.

“It’s about creating a community and a culture that people don’t want to miss out on,” North said. “You look around and you start to see those streets look different and you want to be a part of that.”

More than 200 people logged rides during Bike to Work Wednesday’s first week on May 13, North said. That’s about half of the entire number of participants last year.

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